If the press is not free, if speech is not independent and untrammeled, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, you are a subject and not a citizen.                        – U.S. Senator William E. Borah

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

   

{This graph represents scores that have been modified by CIMA so that higher scores indicate a better media situation. It is intended to show trends over time; each index measures significantly different factors of press freedom. To see an explanation for how this graph was created, click here.}
 

IREX Score: 1.73 [IREX Methodology]
{Higher is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 4.00}  


IREX Description:

In this fragile environment, there are media outlets—most of which are controlled, directly or indirectly, by political forces—working very hard to be a vehicle of peace. Congolese politicians invest in the media not because they are passionate about sharing information, or because they hope to make a profit, but because the media are a tool that helps them to gain or preserve their power. Additional pressures, including the constant threat of censorship, allegedly on behalf of protecting national security and preserving public order, and self-censorship, compound this political interference. Violent crimes against journalists, including murder, physical attacks, and death threats, persist. The general climate has worsened since the Congolese and Rwandan armies jointly launched attacks in the eastern DRC against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (the Rwandan Hutu rebel forces who have lived as refugees in the DRC since 1994, and have been accused of driving the Rwandan genocide.)

While freedom of the press is officially guaranteed by the constitution, and the specific causes of this freedom are spelled out in the law, the government shows no political will to ensure freedom of the press may be exercised. To the contrary, it shows a clear intention to muzzle the independent press and stifle any opinion opposed to the government's view, according to the MSI panel.

Read more on IREX’s site…

Freedom House Score: 81 (Not Free) [Freedom House Methodology]
{Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 100}  


Freedom House Description:

Read more on Freedom House’s site…

RSF Score: 51.83 [RSF Methodology]
{Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to ~120}  


Committee to Protect Journalists Description: [What is the Committee to Protect Journalists?]

Top Developments
• Government arrests several journalists on defamation charges.
• Journalists fear repression as 2011 presidential election approaches.

Key Statistic
2: Weeks that reporter Tumba Lumembu was held incommunicado by intelligence agents.

On the defensive over criticism of its human rights record and its handling of the conflict with rebels in eastern Congo, President Joseph Kabila's government censored news coverage and detained several journalists during the year.

Visit CPJ’s Site for Recent Developments in this Country

IFEX News: [What is IFEX?]

Visit IFEX’s Site for Recent News on Media in this Country